Synagogue in Kolbuszowa

The synagogue in Kolbuszowa, located at 19 Piekarska Street, was built in the second half of the 19th century. Its architecture reflects the classical style, featuring a single-space interior laid out on a rectangular plan and covered with a hipped roof clad in sheet metal. Inside, there was an entrance hall and a women's gallery on the upper floor; fragments of polychrome paintings from 1903, created by W. Drewnicki, have been preserved on the ceiling of the main prayer hall, though they are now painted over. During World War II, the building suffered significant damage due to Nazi actions. After the war, between 1955 and 1956, the synagogue was renovated, and part of the building began to be used by the Museum of Folk Culture. In 1966, after another renovation, the synagogue came entirely under the museum's management, which at the time housed a small exhibition of Judaica. In 2008, the synagogue was taken over by the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage (FODŻ), but its condition began to deteriorate, leading to the closure of the building. In 2014, the Kolbuszowa municipality purchased the property with the intention of transforming it into a gallery and municipal museum. On December 16, 2015, the synagogue was handed over to the Municipal and County Public Library in Kolbuszowa, which secured funding for its renovation. The Division of Cultural and Regional Education was opened on January 30, 2019, contributing to the cultural revival of the region. The synagogue, a testament to the Jewish history of Kolbuszowa, now serves as a place that combines historical and educational values, while also revealing the rich cultural heritage of the area to visitors.